Posted by By Our Reporter on
No fewer than 23 secondary school students hired to sit for semester examinations by students of the University of Lagos have landed in serious trouble.
No fewer than 23 secondary school students hired to sit for semester examinations by students of the University of Lagos have landed in serious trouble.
Already, nine of the exam cheats caught during the institution's just concluded second semester examinations have been docked at the Yaba Magistrate court on a four-count charge of conspiracy, altering, forgery and impersonation.
Those charged to court were Akeredolu Tolulope, Ajayi Funmilayo, Ekwerekwu Olisa, Adebero Adewale, Otuonye Daniel, Nnamah Aaron, Abiodun Adeniji, Joy Abakporo and Afuwape Adeniyi.
Investigations by security operatives at the university revealed that most of the suspects were secondary school students.
"Can you imagine a secondary school student, writing examinations for an undergraduate? It makes us wonder how those students got admission in the first place. By handing them over to the police, we are trying to teach other students that dishonesty is not the way forward," a security source said.
"Most of them gave themselves away because they did not have the new identity card that we just issued to students. When we asked them for the I.Ds, they said they forgot it at home. Curiously, most of their supposed classmates did not recognise them. This made us smell a rat," the source added.
Just as the nine were taken to court, another three were handed over to detectives at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) Panti for involvement in similar criminal act.
Lamenting the increase in the number of exam cheats, a senior police officer said the only way to stop the menace was to keep prosecuting the students.
"Just a few months back, we arrested a welder while writing examinations for a student of International Relations in the same school. We won't get tired of prosecuting them until they get tired of cheating."
Those already standing trial were handed stringent bail conditions of N100,000 and two sureties in like sum, which most of them could not meet, hence they were remanded in prison.
Confirming the development, the Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Mr. Segun Ogunsholu said the arrested students were on their own.
"The matter is now between them and the police. As an institution, we have done our part. UNILAG has an holistic approach towards examination malpractices. Apart from those handed over to the police, others faced a disciplinary committee."
Ogunsholu further added that examination malpractice is a social problem and can only be curbed by proper parental upbringing.
He said: "Parents have to monitor their kids and bring them up the right way and the society has to be more responsible. That is the only way the menace can be curbed."